Chris FieldsChris Fields – Artistic Director

Chris Fields is a Los Angeles-based director, teacher, and actor who is currently the artistic director of the award-winning Echo Theater Company, which he founded in 1996. Most recently, he appeared in the critically acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of Marc Schultz’ Everything Will Be Different and co-produced the world premiere production of Wirehead for The Echo. He recently directed The Illustrious Birth of Padraic T. Duffy, the world premiere of Kate Robin’s What They Have at South Coast Repertory, the Los Angeles premiere of Jessica Goldberg’s Body Politic (Ovation nominated), Kate Robin’s Anon, Sarah Ruhl’s Melancholy Play, the world premiere of Paul Zimmerman’s Pigs and Bugs, and the world premiere of Eat Me by Jacqueline Wright, which was nominated for six LA Weekly Awards including Best Director. He produced the Echo production of Bryan Davidson’s War Music at the Los Angeles Theater Center, which won three Ovation Awards including one for Best Premiere Play and one for Best Ensemble. Chris founded and was Artistic Director of the Ojai Playwrights Conference from 1996 to 2000. Additionally, as a director, he’s worked with and staged plays by Adam Rapp, David Lindsay-Abaire Christopher Durang, Ellen McLaughlin, Napoleon Ellsworth, Bernardo Solano, Deborah Prior, Neal Bell, Kira Obolensky, Herman Daniel Farrell III, and Quincy Long, among many others. His work in film includes his adaptation of Neal Bell’s Out the Window, which he produced and directed, and his recent short Sunnyslope, which was awarded Best New York Film at the New York Film and Video Festival and nominated for Best in Fest at the Great Lakes Film Festival. As an actor, Chris has appeared on Broadway (Homefront), Off Broadway (Machinal at the Public, Aristocrats at Manhattan Theater Club and Orphans with Steppenwolf) and has numerous regional credits, among them Golden Boy, All My Sons, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, and 2. His acting credits in film and television include Zodiac, Fight Club, Apollo 13, The Game, Jurassic Park, Alien 3, and Jacobs Ladder, as well as appearances on “Sleepercell”, “ER”, “NYPD Blue”, “Boston Public”, and “Ally MacBeal” to name a few. Additionally, he was a proud member of the acting ensemble of the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference at the National Theater Center under LloydRichards. Chris was an adjunct professor of drama at SUNY Purchase and maintains a workshop in Los Angeles.

Lauren Bass – Producing Director

Lauren Bass has been producing theater in Los Angeles and New York for over a decade, both independently and as Producing Director of the multiple award-winning Echo Theater Company. Current projects include the hit nightclub act All Hail The Queen: Hail Yes! starring Olivier Award Winner Lesli Margherita  and the recent West Coast Premiere of Mark Schultz’ Everything Will Be Different.  Past productions: West Coast/World Premieres of Jessica Goldberg’s Body Politic (Ovation nom. Best Play & Best Ensemble), Kate Robin’s Anon, Adam Bock’s Thursday, Sarah Ruhl’s Melancholy Play, and the Ovation Award winning War Music by Bryan Davidson.  Other credits include the solo shows A Series of Comedic Lectures by John Lehr (Zipper Theatre, NY / Powerhouse, LA), Gorgeous! (Room 5), Tom Lenk’s: Will You Be My Special Friend? (Acme Comedy), and the premieres of Save Me From Sister (Hudson Backstage), Michael John LaChiusa’s Fist Lady Suite (The Blank), and The Grave White Way (Lambs, NY / Hudson Backstage, LA). Additionally, Lauren is a founding partner of bass/casting, a bi-coastal feature film, tv, and theatrical casting company.

Drew Dalzell – Assoc. Artistic Director

Drew Dalzell is an award winning sound designer, show control programmer, and theatrical consultant. His experience encompasses theme parks, cruise ships, theatre, television, film, industrials, and installations. Drew has worked for Universal Studios, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Creative Entertainment, Nickelodeon Recreation, and Paramount Parks. He has done extensive sound and show control work for Universal Studios Hollywood, most notably Halloween Horror Nights 2006-2010. For Nickelodeon Resorts, Drew acted as the show control programmer and technical systems consultant for Nick Live Family Style Goes Wild!, SpongeBob’s Bikini Bottom Bash, Nickelodeon’s Slime Party, and SpongeBob’s Christmas Spectacular. His work on cruise ships includes being Technical Director for the Nickelodeon Family Cruise in 2008 and 2009 and the 2009 R Family Cruise to Alaska. Drew has designed sound for over 250 theatrical productions. His designs have appeared in venues as varied as Disney Cruise Lines’ Wonder for the world premiere of Toy Story: The Musical to world and West Coast premieres at regional theatres such as South Coast Repertory, The Laguna Playhouse, The Colony, and the Rubicon. As a young designer, he received the 1998 USITT ClearCom Sound Achievement Award. Since then, he has been nominated for Ovation, LA Weekly, Garland, LADCC, and NAACP Awards, winning multiple times. Drew also works with Stage Research as an expert trainer for their SFX Software and has trained students ranging from attendees at LDI to Local 1 members in New York City. Drew received his MFA in Theatrical Sound Design from the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and his subsequent accomplishments and unique skill set have created a demand for him as a lecturer. He teaches specialized classes in show automation and sound for theme parks at California Institute of the Arts and has lectured at Yale University, University of California Irvine, The University of Missouri Kansas City, North Carolina School for the Arts, Purdue University, and The University of Cincinnati.

Tara Karsian – Assoc. Artistic Director

Tara Karsian has guest starred on such television shows as “ The Mentalist”, “Prison Break”, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”, “Saving Grace”, “Entourage”, “Bones”, “Lovespring International”, “Without A Trace”, “CSI”, “Desperate Housewives”, “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Six Feet Under”, among countless others. For the last 4 years of the show, she recurred on  “ER” as the hospital’s social worker, Liz Dade. Tara is the Associate Artistic Director of the Echo and besides appearing in several of the productions, she has been most proud to teach for ACT OUT, the Echo’s outreach program for incarcerated youth.